The agreement, which will be signed on September 23, states that Italy and Malta will be the first point of reception for humanitarian ships, but that migrants will then be reallocated to Germany and France.

By Francesco Grignetti
11 Settembre 2019

Negotiations began last July in Helsinki at a meeting that included 29 interior ministers, one of which was Italy’s former interior minister, Matteo Salvini. Italy and Malta presented a joint document regarding the issue of migrant landings to European officials. Meanwhile, on the same day, France and Germany presented a document of their own, regarding the humanitarian ships. It was thus decided to draft a joint document, which will be finally be signed on September 23 in Malta when the country’s four respective interior ministers will present their "Predictive Temporary Allocation Program”. The agreement is expected to manage migrant landings and relocate them more efficiently and effectively. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte brought up the issue today in Brussels with head of the European Commission, Ursula von Der Leyen.

The draft agreement states that when the next French or German humanitarian ship makes a rescue at the Mediterranean sea, Italy and Malta will allow the migrants to land in the nearest available safe harbor. After this first reception in European territory, France and Germany will have a month to welcome them in their own countries. However, the exact number or percentage of migrants to be received by Paris and Berlin is still under negotiation because the French and German governments have pledged to only take 25 percent of the migrant landings, while Italy and Malta have requested they take care of all of them.

Italy and Malta both stated that they will not welcome any economic refugees given that the first month of reception is enough of a logistical and financial commitment. Salvini refused to concede more, and with the draft almost ready to be signed, it’s unlikely that Italy’s new interior minister, Luciana Lamorgese, will offer any additional concessions.

The need to set clear percentages is based on last year’s experiences—not to mention yesterday when Malta finally allowed the Alan Kurdi ship to enter its port and the last migrants to disembark—in an effort to hold European governments accountable. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte stated yesterday that this is “a phenomenon that must be managed at European level”.

Conte added: "We must work as soon as possible to change the Dublin regulation". Changing the regulation will take a long time, however, and its outcome is still uncertain. Still, Europe has finally realized that the tug-of-war between governments and humanitarian ships at sea is unacceptable and signing this agreement will finally hold respective European governments accountable.

This article first appeared in Italian in La Stampa. It has been translated and edited in English.